The Pulpit Commentary — Numbers — Section 413

EXPOSITION. ver. 16 (see note there), e.nd in these two CHAPTER XXXI. places not in the same sense. The context, EXTERMINATION OF THE MIDIANITES however, leaves little or no doubt as to the (vers. 1-64). Ver. 1. -The Lord apake meaning which it must bear. unto Moaea. The command to "vex the Ver.6.-And Phinehas the son ofE!eazar. Midianites, and smite them," bad been given The high priest himself could not leave the before (eh. xxv. 17), but bow long before we camp and the sanctuary, because of his cannot tell. Possibly the interval had been duties, and because of the risk of being purposely allowed in order that the attack defiled (see ver. 19); but his son, who was when it was made might be sudden and un- already marked out as his successor, could act expected. From the fact that no resistance as his representative (see on eh. xvi. 37). In would seem to have been made to the Israel- after times the Messiah Milchama (" Sacer- itisb detachment, and that an enormous dos unctus ad bellum," alluded to in Deut. amount of plunder was secured, we may pro- xx. 2) who accompanied the army to the bably conclude that the Midianites had field was a recognised member of the Jewish thought all danger past. hierarchy. Phinehas was of course specially Ver. 2.-Avenge the children of Israel of marked out by his zeal for the present duty, the Midianitea. Tho war was to be dis- but we may suppose that he would have tinctly one of vengeance on the part of gone in any case. With the holy instru- Israol. On the grave moral question which ments, and the trumpets. Septuagint, ,ea, arises out of this war, and of tho manner in Ta <TEEUfl Ta i11a, r:ail ai aa:\,r,l'l'EI,', The which it was carried on, see the note at the word " instruments" (1,?:;i) is the same more end of the chapter. Afterward ahalt thou usually translated "vessel," as in eh. iii. be gathered unto thy people. It is quite 31, and is apparently to be understood of possible th11t Moses himself had been reluct- the sacred furniture of the tabernacle. It is ant to order the expedition against Midian, diflicult to underste.nd what "holy vessels" either because it involved so much blood- could have accompanied an expedition of this shed, or, more probably, because he foresaw sort, unless it were the ark itself. The Israel- the difficulty which actually arose about the ites were uccustomed at all critical times to be women of Midian. If so, he was hero re- preceded by the ark (eh. x. 33; Josh. iii. H; minded that his place was to obey, and that vi. 8), and the narrative of 1 Sam. iv. 3 sq. his work on earth was not done so long as shows plainly that, long after the settlement the Midi11nites remained unpunished. at Shiloh, no scruples existed against bring- Ver. 3. -Avenge the Lord of Midiau. ing it forth agninst the foes of Israel and of God, speaking to Moses, had commanded a God. Indeed there is a resemblunce in the war of vengeance ; Moses, speaking to the circumstances between that ease and this people, is careful to command a war of re- which is all the more striking because of the ligious vengeance. In seducing the people contrust in the result. Most modern com- of the Lord the Midianites had insulted and mentators, unwilling to believe that the ark injured the majesty of God himself. On the left the camp (but cf. eh. xiv. 44), identify question why Midie.n only, and not Moab the "holy instruments" with "the trum- e.lao, was punished see on eh. xxv. 17. It pets;" this, however, is plainly to do violence is to be rem em be red that, however hateful to the gram.mar, which is perfectly simple, the sins of licentiousness and idolatry may and is contrary to the Septuagint and the be, they have never aroused by themselves Targums. The Te.rgu.m of Palestine para- the exterminating wrath of God. Midie.n was phrases "holy instruments" by Urim and smitten because he had deliberately used Thummim; these, however, as far as we can these sins as weapons wherewith to take the gather, seem to hnve been in the exclusiv11 life of Israel. possession of the high priest. Ver. 6.-There were delivered, or "le- Ver. 8.-They slew the kings of Midian, vied." ~'1f?lp'. Septuagint, l(1Jpi~µ.f/<1aa•, beside the rest of them that were slain. The Hebrew word is only used here and in This is u1ore 11ccurately rendered h_y the Sep- 100 THE BOOK OF NUMBERS, [CH, XXXI, 1-54,